Washington, D.C. - Today Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (CA-32) made the following statement on the House floor expressing support for the important role played by community health centers in providing health services in the 32nd district. 

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 5573, the ‘Health Centers Renewal Act of 2006.’ 

“H.R. 5573 reauthorizes the Community Health Center program, guaranteeing a funding source for critical providers in communities like mine.

“Community health centers leverage what little they have to ensure working families, the uninsured and our nation’s children have access to critical medical care.

“More than 40 million people in our country lack health care coverage, including one in three in the San Gabriel Valley.

“Eighty-three percent of the uninsured are from working families and 14 million are Latinos.

“Community health centers ar a fundamental component of our safety net, often providing care in a culturally competent and linguistically appropriate manner for all families and often being the only source of care.

“In my own district, community health centers bear the brunt of responsibility for treating the uninsured.

“After 70 years of serving much of the Congressional District I represent, the Azusa Health Center was forced to close because of the lack of funding.

“I knew that the one in three people in the San Gabriel Valley without insurance would suffer greatly without access to this care.

“Through the support from the City of Azusa, Los Angeles County and many community organizations, the Clinic proudly continues to serve the families of the communities in my district today.

“Because of the hard work of our partners, the Azusa Health Clinic attained its section 330 designation and is now a secure source of care.

“It is our community health centers that work to make affordable health care a reality for all the residents of California and the nation.

“I am proud to support this bill and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

“I yield back the balance of my time.”